Amberpaw: Life Story
by CLICK MEH
Summary: Amberpaw is an ordinary cat; an average apprentice, with loyalty in her blood and also courage. A normal life is all she thought she'd ever experience. But when she has an unexpected change in her lifestyle, she realizes that her life would not be normal. Set in the forest before Firestar's time.
1. A New Beginning

"Amberpaw, come in and see your new den!" Amberpaw reluctantly followed the pretend happy apprentice Longpaw into the apprentice den. He was mostly white, with some gray smudges on his side. Amberpaw had seen herself once before, in a puddle; her brown tabby pelt blended well with the new leaves falling in ThunderClan territory. Amberpaw!" urged Longpaw. The apprentice den had been recently redone; the nice nests with new feathers, overturned earth for softer pads, and each nest looked more cozy than sleeping on someone's pelt. She settled into her assigned nest and fell asleep.

"Amberpaw!" A loud yowl came from outside the den. She peeked out and saw her mentor, Raincloud, outside. Longpaw had a grumpy face on, with his mentor sitting beside him, Leafclaw. He looked angry. He argued with Longpaw. Amberpaw went over to Raincloud. "Let's begin training," she said. Amberpaw slipped away from the evil grasp of Longpaw's cruel voice and plunged into the forest. "Amberpaw! A mouse!" whispered her mentor. Instinctively, she dropped down into a hunter's crouch. She reached the mouse and swiped at it, but it scurried away just out of reach. "Mouse dung!" she spat. This was going to be harder than it seemed.


	2. An Unforgettable Day

"The woods are getting sick," began Featherfoot, who was a nice gray elder. "was what she said. She, as in Nightflower." Featherfoot sneezed. "The woods were dying. They were shriveling up. Much like an old piece of prey, left in the back of the den, or berries left in the medicine den for too long." He sighed. "Cats got thinner. The prey the caught was small and skinny. The water became foul, like drinking blood. Battles were fought. Many cats died. But we still lived, thanks to Sunstar, our leader." He glanced up at the Highrock, where the blonde tom sat, grooming his tail. "Sunstar gathered all the cats, from all the Clans. He brought them to the end of the river at RiverClan, where the water flowed, and saw that there was a Twoleg shiny thing in the water." He sneezed once more. "We removed it. We had to bear a few days while the poisoned water rushed by, but finally, the cats began to drink water. The trees became alive, for the water that it's roots got was no longer rotten. Prey, which now had enough to drink, became fat and slow. Everything was back to normal." He ended the story with a sneeze. Longpaw frowned. This was a rare time that he wasn't insulting her and she was in the same room with him. Sighing, she began to pad out. Featherfoot was an exceptional storyteller, but he had to get that sneeze checked out. She began to walk off, when she realized she had pelted into the forest. Then she heard a yowl, and a hard blow landed on her head. She fell to the ground and passed out.

"Where am I?" she asked drowsily. Getting knocked out is not the same as sleeping, and she felt tired. "WindClan," said a light brown tabby tom standing by her. His face looked happy; much better than Longpaw's expression whenever she saw him. "Why?" she asked. "Because you will be an apprentice here," he said, plain and simple, like nothing was different. "Uh, why?" she asked, getting in her panic mode. "Because, your mother is here." She jumped up, suddenly awake. "My mother is Flowerbloom!" The tom shook his head. "No. Your mother is Fernwing." He flicked his tail to a gray and white tabby she-cat. Amberpaw shook her head. "But I'm ThunderClan!" He shrugged. "A kit is supposed to go with her mother's Clan." She hung her head. "There's no getting out of this, is there?" He shook his head, pity in his eyes. "No."


	3. Near Death Experience VS Clay

Why? Why did she have to deal with leaving her home that she remembered? She heard a rustling of leaves and saw The brown tom appear, a mouse in his jaws. "Here." he dropped it. "You should go and step out of here. Being cramped in this tiny den must be boring." She nodded and, stretching her legs, hopped out. She smelled an unfamiliar smell coming from the warrior den. "It's lemon. They sometimes grow by the Twoleg Farm. We use them to help cats wake up, if they got knocked out, or if they are asleep too long and it worries somebody." She smelled the sour scent again and headed back for her den. "Where are you going, Amberpaw?" he asked. She sighed. "I don't know." The brown tom purred. "Well, your mentor is Picklenose, and maybe he can show you around the territory!" Amberpaw nodded. "Okay!"

Running felt better. She felt the wind in her ears, racing along her pelt like another cat. She breathed the smell of rabbit and saw cats a few fox-lengths away chasing a plump one. They caught it and started hauling it back to camp. "This is the cliff," Picklenose explained. It dropped away to a rocky floor. On the other side was green grass. The brown tom hurried up. "I bet I can jump it!" he said. "No. It's too dangerous, Rabbitpaw." So that was his name. Sighing with relief that she now knew the tom's name, she went over to the edge, where the sheer cliff fell away. "Wow." She suddenly felt dizzy, staring at the bottom. She began to wobble. Panicking, she felt herself falling. She yowled for help, but she was so scared she couldn't meow a thing. She thought it was her end. Then she felt teeth dig into her scruff. She looked down right below her, where a sharp rock stood. She would have died. Amberpaw looked up at her savior to see Rabbitpaw. He thrust her up to the grass. "Thanks," she breathed. He cleared his throat and looked embarrassed. "Well, um, I heard something, and I saw you slip." He turned away and ran. She felt confused, but right now was too traumatized to question him. After sharing a rabbit with him that night and a nice sleep, she would probably forget it.

Amberpaw awoke to a slight drizzle. What did WindClan do when it rained? She had moved to the apprentice den, and woke Rabbitpaw. "Rain," she whispered. He jumped up. "The Rainplace." Amberpaw followed him out of the camp to a hole, which was probably a rabbit hole. She followed and realized it was much bigger than that. It had a maze of tunnels, enough to make a cat loose direction. She followed the other cats through the tunnels. They turned right and she saw some large spaces in the tunnel wall. But they kept going. She saw that moist, fresh herbs were in them, and feathers and moss in the other. They kept going. Finally they arrived at a huge hollow. It could fit the whole camp probably, plus some. She followed the cats inside. She and Rabbitpaw found a nice corner with a step carved in and hopped up on it. "This place is awesome," she said. Rabbitpaw nodded. "I love rainy days. And rabbits come through these tunnels, when they mistake it for a rabbit hole." Amberpaw purred. "So, it's awesome here." She pushed a paw into the step. "What is this made of?" Rabbitpaw rubs a paw on it. "Clay. It's underground. We mold it when it's wet, then when it dries, it's as tough as a rock. Amberpaw nodded. "Well, it's pretty cool." He purred and layed down. "You are too."


	4. What's Wrong with Rabbitpaw?

"I guess I like it here," she confessed. A new feeling of safety and comfort was spreading from her ears to tail-tip, and she had began to run faster, catch rabbits, and remember the names of all the warriors, apprentices, queens, kits, and elders. The medicine cat, Pumpkinbreeze, seemed very nice. She saw Rabbitpaw pass by the fresh-kill pile and hurried over. "Hi!" he greeted. She still felt odd about the other day's talking in the tunnels. What did his last sentence mean? She shrugged. At least they were good friends. "Hey, Rabbitpaw, race you to the cliff!"

Wow. That wasn't good. She had nearly fallen again in her mad rush to the steep cliff. Rabbitpaw raced up beside her. "Good job," he praised. He started to walk away. "Wait!" she said. He hurried back. She hesitated. "What did you mean back there, in the tunnels?" He looked embarrassed. "I, uh, I meant that we were really good friends," he stumbled. He gave a brief nod and pelted away. She felt lonely without his presence. What was wrong? She sighed and padded back to camp. How long would he take to really answer her?


	5. Where are the Lemons, and Picklenose?

The foul scent of the lemon had left Amberpaw's mind, and she didn't notice it. Or it wasn't in the camp. She was torn which one she would want. No lemons meant no more foul smelling prey, but they would arrive with fresh lemons if they were out. But if she had gotten used to the scent, that meant she was becoming WindClan. "Rabbitpaw!" she whispered to her denmate. He rose to his paws and shook his fur. "No lemons?" she said. Rabbitpaw sniffed.

"No."

"Well, where are they?"

"Who cares?"

"Me!"

"Okay, keep your fur on," he said. He made a plan to go to the farm and check out the plant. When they arrived, what Amberpaw saw made her heart skip a beat. A starry warrior sat with Picklenose by the lemons. "Life is not just to become a warrior, medicine cat, or leader," it said. "Life must be lived enough for you to die and never regret a thing you have seen, done, or heard. Living as a Clan warrior, following all these rules, is not how to live. Leave now, become a loner, to have a better life." Amberpaw watched in astonishment as her mentor stood up and nodded to the starry cat. "Yes, of course, Drizzlefall." She watched in horror as her mentor pelted away, off beyond the Twoleg farm, to live a loner, even rogue, life.

"We have to tell Rainstar!" exclaimed Rabbitpaw. They pelted away to the camp and found the gray blue tom sitting on a stone, talking with the medicine cat apprentice, Yarrowbreath. "Yes, I'm sure we have enough herbs to last this leafbare," he said. "Okay, I'll have Rabbitpaw and Amberpaw gather some more at sunhigh." Rabbitpaw pelted up to him as soon as she left. "Picklenose!" he gasped. Rainstar sprang up. "You found him! We've been searching since sunrise!" Rabbitpaw panted, and Amberpaw took over. "We found him by the lemon tree talking with a StarClan warrior. He said to leave to make his life more interesting. He didn't even hesitate running off." Rainstar narrowed his eyes. "Do you know the name of this StarClan warrior?" Rabbitpaw jumped up. "Drizzlefall! It was Drizzlefall, that's what he called the cat!" Rainstar's eyes looked wide with alarm. "Drizzlefall! He was my brother. He, was evil. Never went to StarClan! He must have tricked Picklenose." He looked down at the ground. "A great warrior Picklenose was. A shame he was lost." Amberpaw nudged Rabbitpaw. "Don't give up so easily! Lead a patrol to find him!" Rainstar brightened. "Let all cats old enough to catch prey join here- oh, for StarClan's sake- Get over here, and fast!"


	6. Searching for Picklenose

"Drizzlefall is a threat," growled Rainstar. "He is too evil to be messing with my warriors. They shouldn't trust him." Amberpaw nodded. "Okay, well, this wasn't just messing around. They definitely knew each other." Rabbitpaw padded up. "Maybe Drizzlefall has been training him," he suggested. Rainstar trudged onward, and Rabbit and Amberpaw raced to catch up. "Should we mention it at the Fourtrees tomorrow?" Rainstar, without stopping, gave a slight nod and disappeared ahead. "You know we really should plan this," Amberpaw huffed out, panting for breath as she took many steps to match one big one of the gray tom. Finally, the leader stopped. He didn't look tired at all. "I can scent him. If he wanted to leave, you'd think he would cover his scent." Amberpaw sniffed and caught the scent of her mentor. "Come on!" Rabbitpaw must have smelled it, too, because he was on his paws, racing off. Heads down to the scent line, Rainstar, Amberpaw, and Rabbitpaw followed the scent to the border. It was still scented in ThunderClan, which was on the other side. Amberpaw couldn't even think of crossing it. Rainstar must have sensed her feelings and didn't go farther. "We'll tell the Clans that there is a cat lingering at the territories, and to bring him to WindClan if found." He hung his head. "And to watch out for Drizzlefall."

"Did you find him?" Gingerkit's excited mew made Amberpaw's heart tear in half with pity. "No, not yet," she began. Gingerkit was Picklenose's daughter. Her brother, Reedkit, trotted out, grass sprayed all over his pelt. "No? Where is he?" Amberpaw hesitated from telling them she didn't know. Luckily, Rabbitpaw came over. "Race you to Rainstar's den!" The kits began running toward the rock. He flashed a quick smile at Amberpaw and raced ahead.


	7. The Gathering, and Choices

Amberpaw awoke, realizing her pelt was dripping wet. She stood up. It was not raining. In fact, it was a nice newleaf morning, with a few warriors and apprentices slumping around camp drowsily. Tonight was the Gathering. She was slightly afraid. She got back to the question at hand. Why was she so wet? Usually, the mist and morning dew only made her pelt moist. She looked over to Rabbitpaw. His eyes were closed, but a small smile spread across his face. She shook her pelt and was aware of moss flinging off of it. She went over to study the moss. It looked recently drenched in water. She playfully growled as Rabbitpaw sprang up, chanting, "Got ya!" over and over.

She sprang at him, but he dodged her. As they play fought, they were not aware of Rainstar standing at the entrance into the den. He watched in silence. "Amberpaw!" he finally said. Amberpaw immediately broke away from her friend and padded up to Rainstar. "Yes?" He motioned with his tail for another cat to come out, and Stonepool stepped in.

He was a muscular gray tom with some places where fur had been tugged out from a recent recent accident. He was lost in his own thoughts, it looked like. Amberpaw had never been fond of the gray warrior. "Amberpaw, he will take over your mentoring until we find Picklenose." He nodded absentmindedly and walked away. Amberpaw sighed. This wasn't going to be much fun.

Amberpaw walked in awkward silence with Stonepool on the moor. Finally, the gray tom looked over to her with icy blue eyes, chilling Amberpaw through her pelt. "Right. Now, you and Rabbitpaw will have your first assessment at sunhigh today. Let's practice." Happy to have something to do, she sniffed the air. Detecting a scent of rabbit, she raced across the moor. The rabbit was now in sight. A plump brown rabbit, who looked like a mother. Amberpaw skidded to a halt and waited until the rabbit slowed. She crept forward, making sure not to make a sound, and followed the rabbit to a tall patch of grass. Inside the makeshift nest, there were three baby rabbits, big enough to move but not quickly. They were about the size of Gingerkit, if not a bit bigger. She slashed at the mothers neck, and the pale brown rabbit lay dead under her paws. The rabbit kits' whiskers quivered. One, that looked like a tortioseshell cat, hopped, but Amberpaw bit it's neck before it got away. She caught another one, and left the third one, so it could grow, and so soon, it would grow and be bigger prey. She dragged the mother back to Stonepool. "I have more." She turned and pelted back to the two lifeless rabbits. She picked them up in her jaws and dropped them by Stonepool. The gray tom had a look of surprise, pride, and hunger in his eyes. "Nice," he said.

They carried the prey back on the moor. When they arrived at camp, Gingerkit greeted them. "Fireblaze and Silverfeather's kits have been born!" Stonepool, who was Fireblaze's brother, dropped the two baby rabbits and raced to the nursery. Amberpaw mumbled through rabbit fur to Gingerkit, "Can you get those two rabbits?" The kit dragged the two along with Amberpaw to the fresh-kill pile. Gingerkit began to get bouncy.

"I'm becoming an apprentice tomorrow!" she yelped. Amberpaw congratulated her with a lick on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll be a great Gingerpaw." The kit puffed out her chest and walked away.

_Rabbitpaw's POV_

It was time for the Gathering soon. But first, I decided to check out Silverfeather's new kits. When I arrived at the bramble walls of the nursery, Silverfeather's kits were huddled together, sleeping quietly. Stonepool had just left, so I wouldn't feel uneasy under his stare. I felt bad for Amberpaw, since her mentor was Stonepool. I shook the thoughts away and turned my attention to the three scraps of fur breathing slowly on the nice, soft earth. "What are their names?" I asked Silverfeather. She layed a tail tip on a pale ginger tom. "That one is Stripekit, because of the stripes on his ears. She pointed to a gray she-kit with a silver muzzle. Her tail had odd markings, like a raccoon, which an elder had told me about. "That one is Racconkit." She pointed to the last one. It as a cream colored she-kit with dusty blonde stripes. "That one is Dustkit." She sighed in love for the three kits. She was a very good friend of mine, since my mother was her sister. She looked up at me, her silver pelt shining in the morning light. "You want to have kits with Amberpaw, do you not?" I was shocked she could read my mind. "Y-Yes," I stumbled. She purred. "Tell her. That's what Fireblaze did, and look how that ended up." He didn't want to. What if she didn't feel the same way? He hesitated on answering. She watched him expectantly. "I'll think about it," he lied. Running out, he realized the moon was coming up. It was time for the Gathering.

Pale moonlight plastered the Fourtrees. Rainstar's gray coat sparkled and shined silver. ThunderClan's leader, Cloudstar, sat with his pale gray tail wrapped around him. Finally, RiverClan's leader, Rushingstar, hopped up next to ShadowClan's leader, Clawstar. "Let this meeting begin!" yowled Cloudstar. The other leaders melted into the shadows as he spoke. "One of our apprentices, Amberpaw, has disappeared. We want the other Clans to look out for her if they see her." He glanced over and cast a suspicious glance at each of the other leaders. Clawstar arched his back and hissed. "We would want nothing to do with a puny ThunderClan apprentice!" Rushingstar remained calm. "My Clan would never do such a thing. Finally, Rainstar stepped up. "We took her." All the Clans but WindClan yowled and hissed and spit and growled at the WindClan leader. "Because her mother is there," he said. "And it is right for them to have her. However, we will give her a choice. If she decides ThunderClan, she's yours. But if she chooses us, do not doubt her, or threaten that we made her decide on us." He fell back into the shadows. Cloudstar grunted in reply. "Bring her to the next Gathering, even if she decides- StarClan forbid- to stay with you rabbit hearted apprentice stealers!" Rainstar took no offense and stayed silent. Coudstar remained calm, though, remembering the truce. "We have a new warrior. Those of you who know Firepaw, she is now Firecloud." Cheers erupted from the crowd. I couldn't help cheering too. She was a very well known and respected cat.

_Third Person _

Amberpaw sat in the apprentice den, alone and cold. Goosepaw and Duckpaw were here, but they were older then her, and already asleep. She wished Rabbitpaw was with her. Glancing up at the moon, it was shining bright in the night sky. Millions of stars surrounded it. StarClan watched her contently. She saw a white queen approaching her, Swanfeather. "Hi," she said. Amberpaw nodded back. Swanfeather looked up at the stars, then at Amberpaw. "You like Rabbitpaw, don't you?" Amberpaw felt hot under her pelt, even though the night was cool. "Yes. He's very nice. I'm glad I'm his friend." Swanfeather let out a light laugh. "No, silly. I meant that you love him." Amberpaw shuffled her front paws. "Yes. So?" Swanfeather purred. "Tell him. Silverfeather told me he admitted to wanting to be your mate. Tell him!" Without letting Amberpaw reply, she went back into the warriors den.


	8. Tigerstar, the First, and The Truth

"Longpaw?" Amberpaw called. She saw his long whiskers pop out, along with his white and gray head. He sneezed quietly. Amberpaw padded up to him and licked his shoulder. His fur tasted foul and sour, like a sick cat. "Do you have whitecough?" she asked "Yes," he panted. Amberpaw stretched. The moon was just a few tail lengths more farther than moonhigh. "Shouldn't you be with the medicine cat then?" He nodded. "I was. But I need to tell you something. Do not come back to ThunderClan. No matter what you want to do. The deputy, Tigerstripe, he killed Cloudstar. Everyone knows it, but he will kill anyone who won't be under his power. Everyone just hunts for him, makes his den bigger, fluffs up his nest, brought his water, and does everything for _him._ If you come back, you'll be killed, since you're half-Clan. He already killed Saltfur because his father, Krestelclaw, is from ShadowClan." Amberpaw was stiff with shock. "Why don't you join here, then?" He wheezed. "And not go to Gatherings, be with my family, and have cats stare at me with suspicious glances every day and training session? To have to start from scratch with my training? No way! I'm almost a warrior. At least Tigerstar still does that." He was about to leave when he stopped. "I hope you have a nice first Gathering next moon." With that, the wheezing cat took of into the shadows. Amberpaw sighed. Now she was up. "Rabbitpaw!" she whispered. He grunted. "Rabbitpaw!" she said more loudly. He sprang up. "ShadowClan attack!" he said. "No, you mouse-brain." He relaxed. Then he tensed again. "Are you leaving to ThunderClan?" She explained about what had happened and that she was staying there. "And, well, there's a little other reason why I chose to stay." He looked at her. Was that hope in his eyes? "I wanted to stay with you." He purred and jumped in triumph. "Yes!"

**That was... kind of tiny. Anyway, PLEASE check out my profile, and check out my other stories! i recently started another one, Scarlet Snow. Please check it out, and my other two, Switched: Silvercloud, which is about Silverstream nad Ferncloud becoming one cat, and Runningbrook, a Clan cat interested in Twoleg stuff! Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**-Fading Shadows**


	9. Warriors

" Rabbitstep! Ambergaze!" cheered WindClan. Ambergaze stared down at the assembled cats below her. It was hard to believe that, only a few moons ago, she would not have liked this. WindClan was her Clan now, the Clan she belonged to. After all, her mother, Fernwing, was WindClan. Rabbitstep sat beside her, his light brown pelt rippling in the wind. Suddenly Stonepool stepped forward. "But where was Picklenose all this time?" The cats began to yowl the same question as her mentor. Where was he? Gingerkit poked her head out of the nursery, but her mother shoved her back in. "Just tell them, Rainstar," said Rabbitstep. The tom sighed and looked t his Clan. The camp fell silent. "My brother, some of you may have known him,-" Rainstar was cut off by an angry growl from a blonde tom, named Shiningdawn. "Drizzlefall?" Rainstar calmly nodded. "Yes. He has been secretly training Picklenose. You all know how tricky he was. He could have made you believe a rabbit was a mouse. And he convinced Picklenose to leave, to have a more, _exciting,_ life." Gasps of shock erupted from the crowd. Frostnose, Picklenose's sister, let out a painful yowl. "Rainstar, will we find him?" asked Stonepool. Rainstar sadly shrugged. "I'll send out some patrols out to search for him. But please, do not panic." With that, the leader flicked his tail, signaling for the meeting to end. But Stonepool stood where he was. "You seem to leave the loss of Picklenose so calmly," said Stonepool loudly. Everybody rushed over. "I thought you cared for him. Or do you care for- StarClan forbid- Drizzlefall?" Gasps of disbelief came from every cat. Rainstar addressed his warrior calmly. "I understand your worries, Stonepool. But, remember, this happened a quarter moon ago, and-"

"And you didn't tell your Clan? Picklenose could be anywhere by now. If you had told us immediately, we would probably have found him!" The gray warrior turned to Ambergaze and Rabbitstep. "And you could followed him! Caught up to him and told him to come back!" The hissing cat sat down. "I can't believe leaders would be so cruel," he muttered loudly. Rainstar's neck fur bristled, but he forced it flat. "Stonepool, I-" He was cut off by Fernwing. "No need," she said. She stood beside Stonepool." He's right. Leaders cannot be like this." Ambergaze watched in shock as cats nervously joined the group. Rabbitstep jumped forward. "This is _one_ mistake! Surely you can forget it!" Ambergaze stepped forward. "Yes! Either way, all cats make mistakes! Fernwing fell in love with a ThunderClan cat! Drizzlefall fell to the dark side! I believed I would be in ThunderClan all my life!" Her gaze softened. "But I know that none of you, whatever you did, would never regret what mistake you made, no matter what it was." She hopped down, then, and the cats began to leave Stonepool's side. The gray warrior turned his head from side to side. He sighed in sadness and padded over to Rainstar, ready for his punishment. Rabbitstep leaned towards Ambergaze. "That was nice," he said. Ambergaze stopped. "We _are_ mates now, right?" Rabbitstep happily nodded, and the two trotted onward, ready for life.


	10. Longpaw's POV

Tigerstar blinked in surprise as the little white and gray apprentice- Longpaw, was it?- stopped by his den. "Wh-Who's going to the Gathering tonight?" he asked, studdering. Purring, Tigerstar (no relation) hopped out of his nests of fresh moss, feathers, heather, and wool. "You, Graymist, Raincloud, Duckfoot, Pigeonfeather, Vinepaw, and Ivypaw." Longpaw nodded and left the den. Tigerstar was out of control. He saw a few cats arriving at the camp, with fresh nest building supplies in their jaws. A large piece of wool was clamped in Duckfoot's jaws, and Vinepaw and Ivypaw held feathers. Raincloud, her eyes still clouded with sadness since Cloudstar, her mate, was murdered, held some clean moss. "Longpaw," greeted Duckfoot. The gray warrior padded onward, to his leader's improved den.

Prickly brambles symbolizing Tigerstar's heart made the walls of the new leader den. Overturned earth stretched out to the end of the camp for his den. A little fresh kill pile for him lay a few fox-lengths from his bed, and a small hollow in the ground, at the end of the den, sat. He had his own little camp in his giant den. Warriors were shriveling up. Apprentices were losing all their bounciness and brightness in their eyes. Even the medicine cat, Bloomingdaisy, didn't always have enough herbs for the Clan, since Tigerstar trampled and clawed anything he wanted now. Life wasn't as it had been. Longpaw sighed. Even his warrior ceremony had been put off! Being an apprentice forever chilled Longpaw to his bones. Shivering, Longpaw stepped into the apprentice den, where the newer apprentices, Skypaw and Cloverpaw, tossed a ball of moss back and forth. Longpaw forced a purr and sat down in his nest. Skypaw didn't take her eyes off the moss as she spoke to Longpaw. "Aren't you having a warrior ceremony now, at sunhigh?" Longpaw stared up at the sky. The flaming ball of light was staring straight down at him.. He was aware of Tigerstar's growling voice of addressing the Clan, and he raced out. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join her beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." He waited impatiently as the cats filed out of their dens. "This apprentice, Longpaw, has trained hard, and shall now earn his warrior name." He went through the ceremony. Finally, he made it to the end. "Longpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Longpaw eagerly nodded. "Yes." Tigerstar growled happily. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From now on, you will be known as Longwhisker. The Clan honors your loyalty and courage." _More than you'll ever have,_ Longwhisker thought. He sat on the Highrock for a last look at ThunderClan, and hopped down, wondering how Tigerstar, when he was Tigerstripe, convinced Cloudstar to make him his deputy. Longwhisker shook the thought away. _I wonder what Amberpaw's warrior name will be..._ he wondered. He shook the thought away. Tonight was the Gathering!

**Sorry... it's kind of weird how quickly Ambergaze became a warrior, but I thought of the name, and knew I would forget it the moment I decided to wait, so...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	11. Ambertail?

Pale moonlight washed over the Fourtrees and the assembled cats among them. Four cats sat on the Great Rock. Tigerstar had his tail wrapped around his paws and his long ears pricked. Clawstar had his claws slid out, and he scraped the rock. Rushingstar calmly sat between Rainstar and Tigerstar, stroking himself with his tongue.

"Let us now begin the Gathering," said Tigerstar. He orange and black tom stepped forward.

"We are ready to take Amberpaw back," he said. Rainstar stepped beside him.

"It's Amber_gaze_ now. And she wishes to stay with us, not ThunderClan." Rainstar looked Tigerstar up and down.

"What happened to Cloudstar?" Tigerstar shifted his paws uneasily. _You killed him,_ Ambergaze thought.

"He has passed on," replied Tigerstar. Cats from all Clans bowed their heads.

"But ThunderClan is just as strong," he growled. Rushingstar nodded to continue.  
"Anyway, stop pretending. Where's Amberpaw, so we can take her back?" Ambergaze stepped forward.

"It's Amber_gaze_! And I'm not going with you! I love WindClan." She snarled and took a step back. Tigerstar chuckled.

"Silly apprentice. Come to the ThunderClan group, _now._" His voice was firm, but Ambergaze didn't budge.

"Guards," he commanded. Two reluctant warriors from ThunderClan went over to Ambergaze and Rabbitstep. Raincloud and Leafclaw. Her former mentor and Longpaw's mentor! Rabbitstep stepped forward. "Don't even think about it," he said. Raincloud sighed.

"I'm sorry. But we must, or he will kill us." Rabbitstep's gaze softened.

"Rabbitstep, good bye. I promise I will try to come back. Even if it means never again going to Gatherings." Rabbitstep looked about to protest, then sighed and stepped back. Leafclaw and Raincloud guided her over to ThunderClan. "Now. Two of our apprentices, Longpaw and _Amberpaw,_ have became warriors. They are now Longwhisker and Amber_tail._" He glared at her former leader, then took a step back.

"RiverClan is well. One of our apprentices, Reedpaw, has become Reedstream. Other than that, RiverClan has no news." Tigerstar nodded, and Clawstar stepped forward.

"I am a leader that gives choice to it's Clan. From a newborn kit to a dying elder. I stick to my promises, and other leaders before me, their promises." He glared at Tigerstar.

"Didn't Cloudstar say she had a choice?" Tigerstar growled.

"Yes. That was Cloudstar. And she probably wanted to stay with us, just didn't want to be rude." Clawstar snorted before continuing.

"I believe my cats when they say something to me. I do not lie, or pretend, or keep secrets from my Clan." The brown tom glared at Tigerstar once again.

"Anyway, we have two new apprentices, Pigpaw and Cinderpaw." The Clans cheered.

"WindClan has a new warrior, Rabbitstep, and had Ambergaze. And if you spot any loners or rogues on your territory, bring them to WindClan immediately." Ambertail knew he was talking about Picklenose. But she didn't care. What would she do?


	12. Escape

Ambertail reluctantly followed Longwhisker to her old home. The trees seemed unfamiliar now, and the ThunderClan scent made her fur bristle. Longwhisker padded beside her, slumping. Ambertail followed him until they arrived at the ravine. It was not her home. Never. The moor was her home. With Rabbitstep, and Rainstar, and all of WindClan. Not Tigerstar, or Raincloud, or Leafclaw, or anyone beside her. She was Ambergaze, not Ambertail! Grunting, she followed the cats into the entrance.

The camp wasn't the same. The leaders den, which was usually just a hollow in the Highrock, was as far as the bramble wall. It stretched along. The other dens looked shriveled and forgotten. A few thin mice sat on the fresh kill pile. Tigerstar left to his den, leaving his deputy, Hazelfoot, in charge. The tom's golden pelt looked gray in the dim light.

"Right. Now, Ambertail, go with Longwhisker to your den. Others, do the usual." Ambertail followed Longwhisker to the warrior den. Inside, the smell of old moss filled the den.

"Haven't you changed your bedding?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Too busy doing stuff for Tigerstar."

"I can't believe you're okay with living here," she said. He shrugged and led her to a crinkled nest. "Here." Ambertail sat down in it, and Longwhisker sat down in one beside it. Sleeping beside him, she felt safe. But not as safe as WindClan, not above the stars. Not with StarClan looking down upon her.

"Ambertail," called Longwhisker. Blinking, Ambertail realized she hadn't dreamt it. She really was ThunderClan now.

"I need to get out of here," she demanded. Longwhisker nodded.

"Raincloud, Leafclaw, and I have already planned it out. You and us are going to go hunting. You'll go to WindClan, and we'll scratch ourselves on some brambles and say a fox caught us. Got it?" Ambertail nodded. She saw Leafclaw and Raincloud standing by the entrance.

"Ready," Longwhisker said. The warriors nodded and led her out, to the forest. The canopy of leaves made Ambertail uncomfortable. They kept walking until the arrived at the moor. "Good luck," said Longwhisker. He seemed much different than the annoying apprentice Ambertail had first met. "Thanks."


	13. Thought It Would Be Easy?

"Ambergaze!" called Rabbitstep. Ambergaze detected Rabbitstep's shape on the moor. She ran harder. She ran as fast as she could. She skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Ambergaze." He purred.

"I got out."

"I see that." Ambergaze followed Rabbitstep along the moor, tails twined together. They finally reached the camp. Cats cheered as she stepped into the sunny camp. Familiar faces crowded around her.

"Hi." said a voice. She whipped around to see, to her surprise, Picklenose. Everyone stared at the tom.

"Picklenose?" asked Ambergaze.

"Hi, Amberpaw. I see Stonepool took you on." The tom stared at her, then turned his gaze to Stonepool and did not shift. It even made Stonepool shuffle his paws uneasily.

"It's Ambergaze. And you left. Without saying good bye!" Picklenose shook his head, as is he were clearing his brain.

"What? Oh, Ambergaze! Wonderful! I'm so sorry I left. I don't know why I did. I forgot who Drizzlefall was. I'm sorry." He started to lick her, like a mother would to it's kit before it became an apprentice. He jerked away playfully.

"Good to see you too, mother!" she teased. He laughed and went off to Rainstar's den. The questions continued.

"Was Tigerstar mean?"

"How did you escape?"

"Did you see your father?"

"Were you demoted to an apprentice?"

The questions annoyed Ambergaze, but she answered them. Yes, she was back, and she was glad.

"You think it's that easy, do you?" came a low growling voice. Ambergaze stared up. She was lying on a soft moss bed with heather. Up above her was Tigerstar.

"Where am I?" she asked. Looking around, she saw a tight cave, with ivy and brambles and moss and ferns and bracken woven together to make a sturdy den. She saw two cats, who were Battleclaw and Starclover, guarding the entrance. Two loner looking cats, a blonde tom and a brown tabby she-cat with a swollen belly, were in the corner. A black tom, who looked like a kittypet, was standing in another corner, his fur fluffed up.

"Your in ThunderClan prison." Ambergaze realized that it was crowded. Some ThunderClan cats were inside, too. Longwhisker, Raincloud, and Leafclaw sat against the back. Three kits, two ginger toms and a black she-kit, were cowering beside them. ThunderClan scent came from the kits. A frightened calico queen was licking the kits vigorously. Ambergaze now knew how horrible Tigerstar was.

And that life wasn't as easy as catching a rabbit.


	14. AUTHORS NOTE

**AUTHOR IS SPEAKING!**

**This story has been discontinued. Amberpaw's Life Story is no longer going on.**

**A new story going off of it, which will be called, _The Struggle, _will be up soon. It will start from the last chapter here. I will make it the same picture to find easier, and it will be, better. Keep in mind Amberpaw's Life Story was my first fan fiction. This will be much more improved. I used to forget to check my stories in my hurry to post them. Now, I will make them more... professional.**

**Thank you! Maybe, by the time you read this, _The Struggle _will be up. Yay! Okay, bye!**


	15. The Struggle Is Up!

**The Struggle is now up!**

**The first chapter is short, I will warn you, but I promise, this story will be much better written than the current one you are reading.**

**For some apparent reason, the link won't work, so you have to go to my profile and find it. Sorry! DX**


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